Filing cabinet



Nov. 27, 1923 1,475,555

A. E. SARGEANT ET AL FILING CA'BINET Filed April 15 1920 eanZm 8.14.1400 1 Fm] y 2km 31(01):; J2 mwy Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

ALFRED EUSDEN SARGEANT AND SYDNEY ARTHUR MOODY, OF BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA.

FILING CABINET.

Application filed April 15, 1920. Serial No. 374,180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED EUSDEN SARGEANT and SYDNEY ARTHUR MOODY, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Brisbane. in the State of Queensland, Commonwealth. of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

We have invented means whereby a very large number of records can be kept that are immediately to the hand of an operator Q for holding the cards while inverted.

seated at his desk. Our invention consists of a drum preferably octagonal and divided into compartments to hold an equal predetermined numer of cards. Means are provided by which the cards are held in the respective compartments until Such time as it is desired to remove them. The partitions forming the compartments are made with a portion nearest the centre curved to help hold the cards in, and this curved portion may beaspring or have a spring behind it; the rest of the partition may be straight.

Sliding telescopic means may be provided to hold the cards in when, as the drum is revolved, the cards reach a point where they are inclined to fall out, or a fixed guard may be provided for the top edge of the cards at their ends to rest on during the period of their inversion as the drum revolves, or a hinged flange at the end of each compartment may be provided to hold the cards in, and may be opened by hand and closed automatically when the drum starts revolving.

A single drum may. be used if the number of cards is small, or a number of drums arranged in a desk to revolve on a horizontal axis, or a number of drums may be carried on horizontal axes on a revolvable frame also carried on a horizontal axis.

The drums may be made of any suitable.

material, although we think sheet metalis preferable, while the drum may have ball bearin or run on roller bearings with a fixed s aft.

These drums may also be fitted with the revolvable frame into a desk, and be so arranged that only the top of the periphery of one drum is opposite theopening in the desk for the attendant to see the cards and operate as desired with any one card; or the drums may be in one line on a common axis Fig. 3 is a detail view showing an alternative arrangement for holding the cards.

Fig. 4 is a detai1-view showing another alternative.

Fig 5 is a detail view showing a further alternative, and

Fig. 6 is a plan of same.

Fig. 7 is a side sectional view of a table fitted with another form of our invention.

In car ing out our invention we provide a single rum A or a series of drums A arranged on an axle A carried on a suitable frame or in a box or on a table B, or a number of drums A carried on axles A carried in turn by a revolvable skeleton frame B (SFig. 7 supported on an axle B These rums A may be round or polygonal; we find that octagonal drums are best. They are divided into a number of compartments C by partitions C each compartment C being arranged to hold an equal pre determined number of cards C The partitions C may be curved towards the centre,

thus forming parallel sides to the compartments C These curved portions may be solid with the partitions C they may be springs C (Fig. 3) secured to the partitions C or they may have springs interposed between them and the partitions C The bottoms C of each compartment C may be flat as shown in Fig. 3 or sloped as shown in Fig. 4.. With the latter arrangement the cards C are-stepped downward from the front to the back, thusfacilitating their we provide a flanged disc D carried loosely on the axle A at each end of the drum A.

- These flanged discs D, which fit over the ends of the drums A are actuated by small rollers D so that they are caused toengage the ends of the cards while they are inverted, leaving them free to be removed from the uppermost compartments. The centres of the flanged discs D are prevented from moving lengthwise on the axle A b the collars D shoulders or pins or other evice on or in the axle A drums A are arranged side by side on a common axle A the collars D between the adjacent flanged discs D are carried by the su ports D It is advisable to arrange t e flanged disc D to rotate with the drum A and thus prevent unnecessary wear and tear.

In Fig. 3 the cards C are held by springs C secured to the partitions (P. In this case it is sometimes, perhaps, advisable to have additional means for holding the cards C in place; these may be as in Figs. 1 and 2 or 4. In the latter case we provide a cover plate E. As a further alternative the ends of each compartment C may be provided with a hinged flangeF, (Fig. 5) normally.

arranged to engage the ends of the cards C but capable of being moved over into the recess F in the partitions F' between the drums A. This recess is provided withinclined sides F to ensure the hinged flanges F being moved to their normal position.

A number of the drums A and attendant parts, as hereinbefore described, may be carried by a skeleton frame 13 rotatably carried by a table B, on a frame or 1n a box, suitable means being provided for holding the cards D inthe compartments.

' To prevent improper manipulation'and to prevent the dust getting into the files a cover G (Figs. 1 and 7) is provided; the cover G may be in sections, one for each drum A.

The details of construction may be varied as found necessary when placing our invention on the market, and, if desired, ball or other suitable bearings may be proyided for the drums A. Index markers or references are provided in suitable positions on the drums A. The drums A may be carried on vertical axis. I

We do not confine ourselves to -a given number of compartments, which should, however, be made to hold exactly the same number. of cards; thus a drum might be made to hold 300 cards in each compartment and have eight such; the drum would then When a number of .the like wit "members designed to project over the open hold 2,400 card's. Place eight of these on a revolvable frame and you have 19,200 cards, all. of which are accessible at a minutes drawers as hitherto they are filed in the various compartments C in the drum A.

- Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is 1. A filing cabinet comprising a supporting member, a rotatable drum-carried by said suporting member and provided with a circumferentially arranged series of peripherally. opening pockets, and mounted members designed to project over the open ends of the pockets for holding cards or the like within said pockets when the-pockets are in inverted position.

2. In improved means for holding record cards, a drum rotatably carried on an axle, compartments formed in said drum, a flanged disc adapted to ,fit over each end of said drum and said cards, and means for canting said flanged disc.

3. A filing cabinet comprising a supporting member, a rotatable drum carried by saidsupporting member and having a circumferentially arranged series of peripherally opening pockets, resilient members arranged on the front and rear walls of each of said in the pockets, and movable ends of the pockets for holding cards or the like within said pockets when the pockets are in inverted position.

4. An im roved means for holding record cards inclu ing an axle, a drum rotatably mounted on said axle, circumferentially arranged pockets formed in said drum, rockable flanges arranged at the ends of the pockets, and means for moving said flanges towards the pockets whereby said flanges will extend over a portion of the pockets when said pockets are in inverted osition.

Dated at Brisbane this twenty-ninth day of February,A. D. 1920.

ALFRED EUSDEN SARGEANT.

SYDNEY.ARTHUR MOODY. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER ANDEnsoN,

MABEL C. Low.

rockably pockets for retaining cards and notice without the operator moving out of 

